ISL’s Emerging Player Brison seeks to bring consistency in his game

Panaji: What a season this has been for Brison Fernandes.
In his first three years with the FC Goa senior team, Brison managed just 328 minutes on the field in the Indian Super League (ISL). There were flashes of brilliances but rarely any consistency.
Then, it all changed this season as the Loutolim-born winger scored seven goals, registered two assists and created 27 chances, numbers that underline the impact he has had with Manolo Marquez’s Goa. In another interesting stat, he took just 16 shots on target across the season and converted seven of them, a conversion rate that would make even the best strikers swell with pride.
So when Manolo Marquez, coaching Goa and the national team, handed him his international debut against Bangladesh in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 final round of qualifiers, nobody was surprised. He had well and truly earned his India cap.
“Given the performances (through the season), I was expecting a call,” Brison told TOI after a training session at the Athletics Stadium in Bambolim. “I had mentally prepared myself. When I took the field, it was like a dream come true. Ever since I started playing football professionally, the dream was to be to wear the India colours.”
On India duty, Brison shared the dressing room with players he idolised over the years. There was, of course, Sunil Chhetri who encouraged and motivated him, while Sandesh Jhingan, his teammate at Goa, was only a tap away. “I felt good when Sandesh said it didn’t feel like it was my first game with the national team.”
The season, though, has not always been full of ups. It started well with Goa winning the Bandodkar Memorial Trophy, a tournament that provided him with the opportunity to prove himself as some players nursed injuries. Then there was the high of being the first Indian player in ISL history to score two goals in consecutive matches. But in the all-important ISL, Goa fell short in their chase for the Shield and Trophy.
Personally for Brison, he had the comfort of winning the ISL’s Emerging Player of the Season, a recognition that confirmed his stature as one of Indian football’s bright young stars.
“Last season, I mentioned once that he is one of the best Indian players I’ve trained, but at that point, he wasn’t playing much. All the merit on how he turned that around from then to right now goes to himself. He has shown great maturity during several key games. He will be a very important name in Indian football in the years to come,” said Manolo.
Brison has worked hard. During off-season, he did not take a break and instead chose to continue working on his fitness and sharpness. He’s reaped the benefits of those sacrifices but knows these are still early days for his career.
“I have lots to learn from the seniors. I have to grow as a footballer and, more importantly, bring consistency in my game. Every game I play, I have to be top notch,” said Brison.